PR and SEO “Friends With Benefits”

If SEO and PR went speed dating, they’d be sure to hook up. The attraction is mutual – and the modern day marketing equivalent of love at first sight.

Effective SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can enhance a website, blog or news story, attracting the attention of clients, bloggers and journalists. The more effective your SEO, the more links you will generate, and the higher you will rank in a Google search.

A high Google ranking is key to success in today’s online world. A harmonious synergy between PR and SEO will expand your customer base, strengthen your brand and open up additional income streams.

As a business owner looking to create smart PR and marketing you must:

* Spend time planning and creating great content that can be shared.

* Media train your staff to mention a link into any broadcast interview, or ask a print journalist to link to the source (which should be hosted on your website as standard).

* And think about how any marketing campaign will work as on-site content. Why would a journalist or blogger want to link to your content? Would anyone share it online?

Putting SEO and PR into bed with each other
means you win big; who doesn’t want to see “As featured in…” on their website? This is the kind of brand recognition that will build essential consumer trust in your brand.

In today’s busy online marketplace, this is the best ‘friends with benefits” relationship you could have.

Welcome to the Winner’s Circle Pam Scott

Congratulations to Pam Scott, Director of Corporate Communications at Red Lion Hotels, who has the distinct honor of becoming the first person to be indoctrinated into Black Ink PR’s prestigious Winner’s Circle.

Why? Because she writes the best away messages ever. She has taken an every-day task and turned it into marketing magic – and also pure joy. Black Ink PR applauds you.

At the Winner’s Circle, we’ve been scouring the internet for months to find the first worthy recipient. We’ve been looking for individuals who go that extra mile to market their product, showcase their work and present their clients in the best possible light.

We’ve read hundreds of thousands of emails but Pam Scott’s marketing genius has put her head and shoulders above the pack. We haven’t seen anyone write an away message like the phenomenal Pam. They’re informative, social media savvy and hugely entertaining. We implore you to steal her style, her energy and her sass.

One of our favorites is her magnificent Thanksgiving away message – it’s divine inspiration!

Thank you for your message!

I am taking a few days to be thankful:

•       Thankful for a family that makes life so much more meaningful.

•       Thankful for a job which is fun and challenging and makes me very proud.

•       Thankful for friends and happiness and good health – three of the most important ingredients in life.

If you are looking for fun during this holiday season, book one of our shopping packages on www.redlion.com/specials/shopping.

I will be back in the office on November 26.

And here’s how she spins a press tour away message into marketing gold:

Thank you for your message.  I am out of the office until September 26.

Don’t be too jealous, but I am in Elko, Nevada, with a great group of travel writers.  We are going hot air ballooning and visiting the brand new California Trail Museum, all while we stay comfortable at Red Lion Hotel & Casino.

Here’s more information:

•       http://www.californiatrailcenter.org/#/elko-nevada/4546901802
•       www.redlion.com/elko

Be sure to check www.Facebook.com/RedLionHotels  and www.Twitter.com/RedLionHotels for updates.

So why not send Pam a note of congratulations. If you’re lucky she’ll be out of the office and you’ll get quite a treat.

Congratulations Pam, you’re a PR PRO – a true inspiration to us all. Welcome to The Winner’s Circle!

WHY YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO SELL

 

A few days ago a kid turned up on my doorstep selling chocolate to raise money for his school’s basketball team. This kid, his team’s star player, looked like he was being tortured. He may have been able to shoot hoops but he couldn’t make a sale if his life depended on it. It was painful to watch. He didn’t understand the product; he hadn’t got a clue regarding delivery and was unable to tell me exactly what my money would be going towards.

Now this kid might be a basketball genius but because nobody had taken the time to explain to him what he was doing and how to do it effectively, he was being set up to fail. I was heart-broken.

If you set your kids up to hate sales, their life will be super challenging. Selling is an essential life skill. Without it, they will be crippled. Every day when we go out to work we sell our products, our expertise, and ourselves as a brand. You don’t want your kid to be set up to hate selling otherwise you will be sending them out into the world unprepared.
You will have failed them.

The beauty of sales is that you can teach your kids how it works in a fun environment; while they manage a lemonade stand, or like the basketball kid, by selling chocolate door-to-door to raise school funds. Your teaching should include these six essential components:

1. Speak in a clear, confident voice.

2. Look the customer in the eye (and smile!).

3. Know their subject matter (What are you selling? What do you get for the money?).

4. And the benefits of the purchase (“My school gets to go to…” “I’m raising money for…”).

5. Find an element of joy or ease (This will translate into every job they ever have).

6. Gratitude for action/support/being a customer (“Thank you for your purchase, Thanks for your help).

The Girl Scouts have analyzed the vital life skills that selling cookies helps them to achieve. Simply put, they learn goal-setting, decision-making, people skills, money-management and business ethics.

Selling is as natural as breathing. Teach your children to love sales, and you will have set them up for success for the rest of their lives.

I hope you find this helpful for you,  your family and your children’s future success. Let me know how it goes, we can discuss it over a piece of chocolate or a cup of lemonade!

Thoroughly Modern Marketing

This morning I hit the ground running. I started with a satellite media tour, followed by an hour-long international Skype conference, before hosting a half hour ‘tweet up’ for a new client.

The only other thing I did before noon, that could have been achieved before 2005, was brew a fresh pot of coffee. And the coffee like everything else that morning, was a joy. Jane Jetson would be proud of my thoroughly modern marketing.

Technology is a powerful too, and even more so if you not only swim with the current but stay current.

I’m shocked at how many people resist progress and change but as a parent, business owner and human being, I understand how important it is to give new things a try. I have instilled in my child the notion that he should always get out of his comfort zone – and the same goes for business, because how are you going to know if something works for you if you don’t give it a go?

Often, it’s only by trying something previously unknown to us, that we get new results, find new clients and forge new relationships.

So when it come to our ever-changing business landscape, and the gadgets, gizmos, widgets, apps and devices we are being gifted daily by the Silicon Valley brainiacs, ask yourself this:

What tools can I use that will make my business thrive?

Then point yourself in the right direction, and go.

Let me know where your new technology endeavors take you, and I’ll see you in the Winner’s Circle.

Why Be A Secret When You Can Be A Success?

If you’re a business that needs to build your profile, finding the money to spend on your marketing budget is essential .

Why take the time to build up your business, only to hide it away?

You wouldn’t do that if you were dating. Think about it – you don’t get an expensive haircut, put on your dazzling red dress and high heels, or tux, only to stay at home in the hope that Mr or Mrs Right will come knocking at your door. Because that happens all the time, doesn’t it?

No, you put the time and money into a strategy, and you get out there.

Marketing for me is divine inspiration from a higher power. I live, love and thrive by marketing. I marketed to get my husband (the right one). I marketed our block to join forces to contact the city to get the street repaved (it worked), and I marketed my family to have Halloween be our essential, always play full-out family celebration (You’re never too old for fun and only have 70 to play for before you’re dead, right?!) And I consistently market my business, which is why you’re reading this mailer.

Unfortunately, in today’s financial climate the first thing that businesses tend to cut is the marketing budget, and that’s a big, fat mistake. Your marketing strategy needs to be an integral part of your business plan and expenditure. Embrace it. Nurture it. Do it.

A recent survey of businesses with less than 1,000 employees, found that more than half of those companies had an annual marketing budget of less than $1,000. That’s serious business suicide.

Put the time in, put the money in, and sweat it out. It’s like going to the gym, you need to be consistent to see results.

Because if you don’t have a structured marketing plan, when the phone stops ringing, it’s going to be a long, tough journey back, while you wait to generate new income, new clients and new possibilities.

So don’t sit at home in your red dress or tux, wondering why no-one is showing up to the party.

Stop being a secret.

Be sassy, be strategic and be successful. Spend some money, strut your stuff and I’ll see you in the Winner’s Circle.

MARKETING LESSONS FROM MAMA KARDASHIAN

 

All hail Mama Kardashian, Kris Jenner.

 

The self-proclaimed ‘momager’ and Kardashian matriarch took a family that no-one knew or cared about and turned them into a billion dollar industry.

A decade ago she was best known as lawyer Robert Kardashian’s ex-wife. When she married Olympian Bruce Jenner he was living in a one-bedroom apartment and $500,000 in debt. Although he was a motivational speaker she was shocked to discover that he didn’t have a business card or a press pack. With her experience as a mom of four (now six), and as “a Brownie leader, soccer coach and room mother, and car pool driver”, she set about changing the family fortunes.

Bruce charged more for his speeches, plugged brands and appeared on TV, and when daughter Kim found infamy for her sex tape, Kris seized the moment and pitched her idea for an Osbournes style reality TV show to Ryan Seacrest. Lemons out of lemonade. And the rest is history.

Last year the family’s shows, spin-offs, endorsements, brands and personal appearances scooped an astounding $65million – and Kris took 10 per cent of everything.

You may or may not like them but you can learn from them:

This was a family that was born to be branded. All the women’s names start with the letter ‘K’, and the girls, while living their separate lives, share the same look. Sometimes I can’t even tell which Kardashian girl I am looking at, but I know I’m looking at a Kardashian. Can you say the same about your brand?

Transparency is the newest buzzword. Everyone is opening up from government to business. Kris Jenner even had the TV cameras in the operating room while she was getting her plastic surgery. Are you prepared to be just as transparent?

Love this photo of Kris Jenner as Wonder Woman (she is!). Her daughter Khloe thought her nipple was popping out of her outfit and then tweeted it out to her 8 million followers. Like mother like daughter.

And while you can find the Kardashian clothes and product ranges in more than 400 Sears stores, they’ve faced their fair share of criticism. But you can’t take action without expecting criticism. Do you believe in your product enough to face public security and still hold your course?

Business tips inspired by Kris Jenner:

If someone says no, you’re asking the wrong person.
Don’t get discouraged, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Turn your lemons into lemonade, can’t say that one enough.
Get organized. Get styled. Get out there!
Brand like crazy and become the arch type for your industry.
And finally, listen to your mother. She knows best!

 

5 Ways to Tweet Better

The Pope is now Tweeting – and so should you (His Holiness @pontifex has nearly 1.5 million followers).

In fact, Twitter now has more than half a billion globally registered profiles, with over 142 million users in the USA alone, tweeting around 175 million times a day. The most popular events on Twitter (American Idol, the Presidential Election, anything Justin Bieber/Lady Gaga related) generate tens of thousands of tweets every second, and 69% of users follow others based on recommendations from friends. Everyone has something to say, and everyone wants in.

Twitter has become one of the most powerful business marketing tools in the world.
So if you haven’t got a Twitter account – get one fast – and if you have, here are five ways to increase your profile in the Twittersphere.

Customize Your Twitter Bio. Jazz up your profile to reflect your fabulous personality. Succinctly sum up everything that is relevant about you and your business, and don’t forget to include your website url.

Use a Great Picture. Get a friend to take an up-to-date, clear and sassy headshot, and upload it to your Twitter profile page. Your company logo is good for your business Twitter account but not for your personal one.

Connect to your Followers.Don’t throw out boring, sludgy tweets – start a discussion, offer tips, retweet anything you think your followers might find interesting and be humorous (if appropriate), whenever possible.

Share a Personal Story. People love to hear an entertaining story, even if it’s in just 140 characters, so share something that happened to you recently, particularly if it’s relevant to your business. It could include a photo of an event (and takes a mere moment to upload).

Track Your Twitter Reach.A little knowledge can go a long way. Read other people’s tweets and try to increase your followers by getting involved in Twitter events such as #FF “Follow Friday”, where you suggest new followers to others. Also, a site like Tweet Graderhttp://tweet.grader.com/ can show you how influential you are on Twitter.

So get Tweeting, and reach new heights, and new clients!